Meet Villanova, This Week’s Adoptable Running Dog

Adding to her cuteness, she carries her favorite toys everywhere she goes — even on runs!
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Villanova | Photo courtesy the Monster Milers

This week’s adoptable running dog has had it rough: She was found underweight in an abandoned apartment. But she doesn’t let it get her down — despite some recent downtrodden times, she’s sweet as can be. Case in point: She carries her favorite stuffed toys with her everywhere — even on runs! Learn more about her below.

Name: Villanova

Age: 3 to 5 years old

Breed: Terrier mix  

Size: Large breed dog

Background: Villanova was brought into Philadephia’s Animal Control Shelter (ACCT Philly) after being found with her doggy brother in a home where the tenants had been evicted. The duo would never have been found had the police not thwarted a burglary in progress, thus discovering the abandoned dogs! Villanova was not reclaimed while at ACCT Philly, so Street Tails Animal Rescue transferred her into their care about one month ago.

Running style: Villanova was underweight when discovered in the abandoned apartment and therefore was not quite ready to run long distances when the Monster Milers initially met her, but enjoyed long and leisurely walks with shelter volunteers from the start. Now that she is at a healthy weight, she is able to run once again, and they have been taking her on shorter, slower-paced runs. Villanova is an easygoing girl while on the move. She does not move at a fast pace so would likely not be able to keep up with a faster runner, but would be a good fit for the daily slower-paced runner.

Why Villanova could be the right dog for you: Although Villanova recently went through a likely difficult time in her life she remains a happy, upbeat and wiggly girl! Villanova is ready to play, but is also content to settle down and sit calmly with whomever is available to give her a bit of attention. Our favorite quirk about Villanova is her loving obsession with her toys! It is rare to catch her WITHOUT a toy in her mouth, and she even takes them outdoors with her while she’s walking or running! Villanova carries these toys around as if she is their caretaker and it is seriously adorable. Villanova is a big girl with a lovely beige coat. She has adorable salt and pepper highlights around her deep brown eyes and muzzle. Although she has lived in a home with another dog, as always, meets are necessary to ensure Villanova and your resident dog’s personalities mesh well. Her history with cats and how she might react to one in the home environment is unknown at the moment. 

If you’re interested in adopting Villanova, you can find her at Street Tails Animal Rescue in Northern Liberties. You can fill out an adoption application here, or contact them by phone (267-761-9434) or email. And for more awww-worthy photos, check out our previous adoptable running dogs here.

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We work with The Monster Milers each and every week to profile local running dogs waiting to be adopted. The Monster Milers are a group of runners who help shelter dogs burn off energy and get much-needed exercise by taking them on runs around the city, and they also just launched their first-of-it’s-kind Adopt a Running Buddy foster program. If you’re not in the market for a pup right now, but would still love to help out homeless dogs, you can always become a Monster Miler volunteer or foster parent. Find out more about how to get started with those processes here.

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